U.S. patent number 7,048,143 [Application Number 10/657,621] was granted by the patent office on 2006-05-23 for container and cartridge for dispensing paper products.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.. Invention is credited to James J. Lee, Richard Lee Sanders.
United States Patent |
7,048,143 |
Sanders , et al. |
May 23, 2006 |
Container and cartridge for dispensing paper products
Abstract
The present invention provides a container for dispensing
individual paper products that includes a housing having side walls
defining an interior area for receiving a plurality of paper
products, wherein one of the side walls defines a slot. The housing
further includes a means for urging paper products having a first
portion external to the housing and a second portion extending
through the slot into the interior area of the housing. The
container may be included in a system for dispensing individual
paper products that further includes a cartridge containing paper
products within the container. The cartridge defines a dispensing
opening and a second slot wherein the second portion of the means
for urging paper products extends through the second slot into the
interior area of the cartridge to contact the paper products and
urge the paper products toward the dispensing opening.
Inventors: |
Sanders; Richard Lee
(Hattiesburg, MS), Lee; James J. (Hattiesburg, MS) |
Assignee: |
Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
(Neenah, WI)
|
Family
ID: |
33162300 |
Appl.
No.: |
10/657,621 |
Filed: |
September 8, 2003 |
Prior Publication Data
|
|
|
|
Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
|
US 20040206769 A1 |
Oct 21, 2004 |
|
US 20060027591 A9 |
Feb 9, 2006 |
|
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
|
60463212 |
Apr 16, 2003 |
|
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
221/46;
221/59 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47K
10/422 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A47K
10/24 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;221/45,46,49,52,56,57,59,62,226,279 ;312/61,71 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
344824 |
|
Feb 1960 |
|
CH |
|
368913 |
|
Apr 1963 |
|
CH |
|
8911997 |
|
Nov 1989 |
|
DE |
|
WO 99/30601 |
|
Jun 1999 |
|
WO |
|
WO 00/33713 |
|
Jun 2000 |
|
WO |
|
Other References
Tramonia et al. cited by examiner.
|
Primary Examiner: Noland; Kenneth
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Shane; Richard M. Hendon; Nathan
P.
Parent Case Text
RELATED APPLICATIONS
The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional
Application Ser. No. 60/463,212, filed on Apr. 16, 2003.
Claims
We claim:
1. A container for dispensing individual paper products which are
disposed in a cartridge having a slot, the container comprising: a
housing including housing side walls defining an interior area for
receiving a plurality of paper products, wherein one of the housing
side walls defines a slot; a spring external to the housing; and a
member engaged to the spring, wherein the member extends through
the slot into the interior area of the housing and through a slot
in a cartridge disposed within the housing.
2. The container of claim 1 further comprising a door hingedly or
removalby attached to the housing.
3. The container of claim 2 wherein the door defines a dispensing
opening.
4. The container of claim 3 wherein the spring urges the member
towards the dispensing opening.
5. The container of claim 1 wherein the housing comprises a partial
housing side wall.
6. The container of claim 1 further comprising a track external to
the housing wherein the spring is disposed within the track.
7. The container of claim 6 wherein the track extends along the
length of the housing.
8. The container of claim 1 wherein the member extends
substantially from the slot to the opposing housing side wall.
9. The container of claim 1 wherein the member extends from the
slot to from 1/3 to 1/2 of the distance to the opposing housing
side wall.
10. The container of claim 1 further comprising paper products
contained within the housing wherein the paper products are urged
towards the dispensing opening by the member.
11. The container of claim 10 wherein the member applies
substantially constant pressure against the paper products.
12. A system for dispensing individual paper products, the system
comprising: the container of claim 1; and a cartridge containing
paper products, the cartridge defining a dispensing opening and a
second slot wherein the member extends through the second slot into
the interior area of the cartridge to contact the paper products
and urge the paper products toward the dispensing opening.
13. The system of claim 12 wherein the cartridge comprises
cartridge side walls, a first end wall defining the dispensing
opening, and a second end wall opposing the first end wall, wherein
the second slot is defined by one of the cartridge side walls and
the second end wall.
14. The system of claim 13 wherein the housing comprises a partial
housing side wall.
15. The system of claim 14 wherein the cartridge defines an opening
for viewing the paper products.
16. The system of claim 12 wherein the spring applies substantially
constant pressure against the paper products.
17. A container for dispensing individual paper products which are
disposed in a cartridge having a slot, the container comprising: a
housing including side walls defining an interior area for
receiving a plurality of paper products, wherein one of the side
walls defines a slot; a means for urging paper products, wherein a
first portion of the means for urging paper products is external to
the housing, and wherein a second portion of the means for urging
paper products extends through the slot into the interior area of
the housing and through a slot in a cartridge disposed within the
housing to urge the plurality of paper products.
18. A system for dispensing individual paper products, the system
comprising: the container of claim 17; and a cartridge containing
paper products, the cartridge defining a dispensing opening and a
second slot wherein the second portion of the means for urging
paper products extends through the second slot into the interior
area of the cartridge to contact the paper products and urge the
paper products toward the dispensing opening.
19. A cartridge for containing paper products and for dispensing
from a container having a housing including side walls defining an
interior area for receiving a plurality of paper products and where
one of the housing side walls defines a slot, a spring external to
the housing, and a member engaged to the spring where the member
extends through the slot and into the interior area of the housing,
the cartridge comprising: side walls defining an interior area
containing paper products; a dispensing opening defined within one
of the side walls; and a slot defined within one of the side walls,
wherein when the container is disposed within a container, a member
extends through the container and into the interior area of the
cartridge and urges the paper products toward the dispensing
opening.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Various types of dispensers for paper products have been developed
to provide ready availability of the paper products to users. Such
dispensers are often provided in public places such as restaurants
or rest rooms where customers remove from the dispenser a desired
amount of paper products for personal use. In some high traffic
areas, such as fast food restaurants, a large number of customers
may use a paper product dispenser such as a napkin dispenser in a
short period of time. Therefore, dispensers have been developed
that hold a large number of paper products for use by a large
number of consumers.
For many applications, it is desirable to have a large dispenser
that will function well in a horizontal position as well as a
vertical position. This is particularly desirable when there is
limited vertical space available. Unfortunately, large horizontal
dispensers are subject to a number of drawbacks. First, because
access to the body of the dispenser may be limited by structures
such as counters or cupboards surrounding the dispenser, it can be
difficult to load large quantities of napkins into a large
dispenser. Second, if paper products are not properly loaded into
the dispenser, the paper products may jam as they are removed
thereby preventing further removal of paper products by users.
Third, a person refilling a large dispenser is more likely, due to
the larger number of paper products involved, to drop some of the
paper products onto a floor. Any dropped paper products are then
unsanitary and must be discarded, thereby creating more waste and
defeating certain benefits of the larger dispenser. Fourth, lacking
an assist from gravity, horizontal dispensers require an external
force to move the paper products through the dispenser.
Therefore, there is a need for large dispensers, both horizontal
and vertical, that reduce the incidence of waste of paper products
due to dropping of the paper products during refilling of the
container. There is likewise a need for such dispensers that reduce
the incidence of jamming of paper products and the resultant
inability to dispense further paper products, and further that have
a mechanism for moving the paper products toward the dispenser
opening so that individual paper products are readily removed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The aforesaid needs are fulfilled and the problems experienced by
those skilled in the art overcome by the container for dispensing
individual paper products of the present invention. In one
embodiment, the container includes a housing having side walls that
define an interior area for receiving a plurality of paper
products. One of the housing side walls defines a slot. The
container further includes a spring external to the housing, and a
member engaged to the spring, wherein the member extends through
the slot into the interior area of the housing. When paper products
are inserted in the container, the spring urges the member against
the paper products and towards a dispensing opening through which
the paper products are dispensed. Desirably, the member applies
substantially constant pressure against the paper products.
In one aspect, the member may extend from the slot to from 1/3 to
1/2 of the distance to the opposing housing side wall. In another
aspect, the member may extend substantially from the slot to the
opposing housing side wall.
In one aspect, the container may further include a door hingedly or
removably attached to the housing. The door may define the
dispensing opening through which paper products are dispensed.
In another aspect, the container may further include a track
external to the housing wherein the spring is disposed within the
track. The track may extend along the length of the housing.
In another embodiment, a system for dispensing individual paper
products includes the container described above and a cartridge
containing paper products within the container. The cartridge
defines a dispensing opening and a second slot. The member extends
through the second slot into the interior area of the cartridge to
contact the paper products and urge the paper products toward the
dispensing opening. The cartridge may include cartridge side walls,
a first end wall defining the dispensing opening, and a second end
wall opposing the first end wall. In one aspect, the second slot is
defined by one of the cartridge side walls and the second end
wall.
In another aspect, the housing may include a partial housing side
wall. Desirably, the cartridge defines an opening for viewing the
paper products.
In another embodiment, a container for dispensing individual paper
products includes a housing including side walls defining an
interior area for receiving a plurality of paper products, wherein
one of the side walls defines a slot. The housing further includes
a means for urging paper products. A first portion of the means for
urging paper products is external to the housing, and a second
portion of the means for urging paper products extends through the
slot into the interior area of the housing. In a further aspect,
the container may be included in a system for dispensing individual
paper products that further includes a cartridge containing paper
products within the container. The cartridge defines a dispensing
opening and a second slot wherein the second portion of the means
for urging paper products extends through the second slot into the
interior area of the cartridge to contact the paper products and
urge the paper products toward the dispensing opening.
Other features and aspects of the present invention are discussed
in greater detail below.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention will be more fully understood from the
following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings (not to scale), wherein like reference
numerals refer to like parts, and in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary container for
dispensing paper products that contains a cartridge filled with
paper products;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the empty container of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the container and
cartridge of FIG. 2 with the cartridge being inserted into the
container;
FIG. 4 is a perspective back view of an exemplary cartridge;
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the container of FIG. 1 taken
along line 1--1 of FIG. 1; and
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an exemplary force-applying
mechanism for use with the container and cartridge of FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments of the
invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the
drawings (not to scale). Each example is provided by way of
explanation of the invention and not meant as a limitation of the
invention. For example, features illustrated or described as part
of one embodiment or figure can be used on another embodiment or
figure to yield yet another embodiment. It is intended that the
present invention include such modifications and variations.
The present invention is directed to a container for dispensing
sheet-like materials. Various sheet-like materials can be dispensed
from the container of the present invention such as, for example,
paper, nonwoven, and other products. Exemplary sheet-like products
include, but are not limited to, facial tissue, towels, bathroom
tissue, wipers, napkins, seat covers and so forth. The specific
composition of the sheet materials dispensed can vary as desired.
Exemplary sheet-like materials and methods of making the same
include, but are not limited to, those described in U.S. Pat. Nos.
3,301,746; 3,322,617; 3,650,882; 4,100,324; 4,436,780; 4,659,609;
4,737,393; 5,048,589; 5,284,703; 5,399,412; 5,494,554; 5,607,551;
5,672,248; 5,716,691; 5,772,845; 5,776,306; 6,077,590; 6,273,996;
6,096,152 and so forth. While paper products are generally
discussed with regard to the embodiments described herein below, it
will be understood that various other products could be substituted
therefore.
The container of the present invention can hold and dispense
significant numbers of individual sheets. Desirably, the container
is sized to hold and dispense at least about 250 sheets. By way of
example, the container can contain between about 400 and about 1000
sheets. In certain embodiments, the container can contain and
dispense between about 700 and about 900 sheets.
Referring to FIG. 1, a container 10 is disclosed for dispensing
paper products 12. The container 10 includes a housing 14 in which
the paper products 12 are placed and from which the paper products
12 are dispensed in a dispensing direction 62. Optionally, the
paper products 12 may be contained within a cartridge which is
placed within the housing 14. The container can be positioned in a
vertical or horizontal orientation either alone or within a
supporting structure or surface.
The housing 14 includes an end wall 20 and a number of side walls
including a first side wall 22, a second side wall 24, a third side
wall 26, and a fourth side wall 28 for housing the paper products
12. The side walls 22, 24, 26, 28 intersect the end wall 20 to
define an interior surface 30 (see FIG. 2) of housing 14, within
which an interior area 32 (see FIG. 2) is located. The side walls
22, 24, 26, 28 may be partial side walls that leave an opening into
the interior area of the housing 14. The side walls 22, 24, 26, 28
and the end wall 20 may each, if desired, be made of two or more
planar portions. Such construction strengthens the housing 14 and
is useful in locations where the housing might be vandalized. The
outer portions of the side walls 22, 24, 26, 28 help withstand any
blow or impact to the housing 14 to prevent destruction of the
housing, removal of the housing from its mounting, or removal of
paper products 12 from the housing.
The container 10 further includes a door 34 which is removably or
hingedly attached to one of the side walls 22, 24, 26, 28. For
example, the door 34 may be attached to one of the side walls 22,
24, 26, 28 by one or more hinges 46. The door 34 is openable for
insertion of paper products 12 into the interior area of the
housing 14 when the supply of paper products 12 is depleted and/or
runs low.
Desirably, the door 34 includes one or more fasteners 36 that
releasably hold the door closed. As used herein, the term
"fasteners" means devices that fasten, join, connect, secure, hold,
or clamp components together. Fasteners include, but are not
limited to, hooks, hook and eye fasteners, latches, snaps,
snap-fits, clips, clasps, loop fasteners, interlocking male/female
connectors, fishhook connectors, and so forth. The fastener 36 is
openable when desired to reopen the door 34. In one embodiment, the
fastener 36 pivots from a pivot point 38. Alternatively, the
fastener 36 may be made of a resilient material that is bendable to
release the door 34. Many other types of suitable releasable
fasteners are known to those skilled in the art.
The door 34 further defines a dispensing opening 40 through which
the paper products 12 pass as they are dispensed.
Optionally, one or more protrusions may extend into the interior
area of the housing. In one embodiment, as partially shown in FIG.
2, the second side wall 24 and the fourth side wall 28 include
protrusions 42 extending into the interior area of the housing 14.
However, the protrusions 42 could be disposed on any of the walls
and one wall can have multiple protrusions. In those embodiments
wherein pairs of protrusions are disposed on opposing walls of the
housing 14, they can be disposed at the same height or different
heights (i.e., staggered). The protrusions 42 desirably comprise a
generally downwardly angled structure and can have a geometric
and/or curvilinear structure. By way of example only, the
protrusions can comprise curved bumpers that may include a
plurality of ridges extending across the curved bumpers
perpendicular to the dispensing direction. The protrusions 42
extend into the interior area 32 to contact paper products 12 and
thereby oppose the movement of paper products 12 in the dispensing
direction. By extending into the interior area 32 to contact paper
products 12, the protrusions 42 impede the movement of paper
products 12 toward the dispensing opening, but do not prohibit such
movement. The use of protrusions to control dispensing is
described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,241,118 to Tramontina
and U.S. Pat. No. 6,378,726 to Chan et al., the entire contents of
which are incorporated herein by reference.
As noted above, the door 34 may be hingedly attached to one of the
side walls 22, 24, 26, 28 by one or more hinges 46. As used herein,
the term "hinge" refers to a jointed or flexible device that
connects and permits pivoting or turning of a part to a stationary
component. Hinges include, but are not limited to, pivotable
connectores, such as those used to fasten a door to frame, and
living hinges. Living hinges may be constructed from plastic and
formed integrally between two members. A living hinge permits
pivotable movement of one member in relation to another connected
member. The door 34 is openable for insertion of paper products 12
into the interior area 32 of the housing 14 when the supply of
paper products is depleted and/or runs low. The fastener 36 that
holds the door 34 closed may, for example, include interlocking
tabs 48. The interlocking tabs 48 are movable when desired to
reopen the door 34. In one embodiment, the interlocking tabs 48 are
movable by pressing an attached button 49 or other actuating
mechanism. Any other type of fastener 36 known to those skilled in
the art for reopenably securing the door 34 may be used.
Desirably, the door 34 further includes one or more control ribs 52
that extend into the interior area 32 to contact paper products
when the door is in the closed position. The control ribs 52 space,
slow, align, and/or support paper products as the same are moved
toward the door 34 and through the dispensing opening 40. Size,
shape, and spacing of the control ribs can be used to control
dispensing of the paper products. The control ribs 52 may have
different dimensions to properly support and guide the paper
products into the dispensing opening 40. For example, a tall rib
member 56 extends into the interior area 32 by a greater amount
than a short rib member 58. The tall rib members 56 and short rib
members 58 are illustrated to show an exemplary dispensing
configuration. As one example, the tall rib member 56 may have a
height ranging from about 1 to about 2 inches at the location where
it intersects with the third side wall 26 and an offset or height
ranging from about 0.1 to about 0.5 inch adjacent the dispensing
opening 40. The short rib member 58 may have a height ranging from
about 0.5 to about 1.5 inch at the location where it intersects
with the first side wall 22 and an offset or height ranging from 0
to about 0.25 inch adjacent the dispensing opening 40. The rib
members may have various widths or thicknesses and the width of a
rib member may vary along any dimension or dimensions. Desirably,
the portion of the rib member contacting the paper product will be
relatively thin and smooth to minimize friction. The use of rib
members is further described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,241,118 to
Tramontina and PCT Publication WO 99/30601, the entire contents of
which are incorporated herein by reference.
The container 10 further includes a means for urging paper products
50 toward the dispensing opening 40 in the door 34. Various
alternatives are possible within the scope of the invention to urge
paper products toward the door 34. The means for urging paper
products 50 may comprises any structure that allows paper products
to be urged towards and dispensed from the dispensing opening 40 in
the door 34. In one embodiment, the means for urging paper products
50 includes a member 100 that extends through a slot 60 in the
third sidewall 26 of the housing 14. As discussed more fully below
in conjunction with FIGS. 5 and 6, the member 100 is engaged to a
spring which, when compressed, applies force to the member in the
dispensing direction 62. The member 100, in turn, applies an urging
force to the stack of paper products.
The dispensing opening 40 may have many shapes within the scope of
the present invention, as long as the opening provides easy access
for a user. Optionally, the dispensing opening may also be
configured to provide metered delivery of individual paper
products. Desirably, the paper products are interfolded, tabbed, or
tab interfolded to provide metered feeding of individual paper
products one at a time. Folding devices, such as boards or plates,
have long been used to longitudinally fold webs and other
sheet-like materials in order to form a stack of folded sheets. The
sheets are, generally speaking, drawn over the folding device
wherein the shape and configuration of the device causes the sheet
to twist and bend thereby producing the desired fold. Folding
devices have heretofore been provided in a variety of shapes and
configurations in order to achieve the desired fold lines and
folding patterns. Folding devices have been used to form a number
of different folds including, for example, half-folds, quarter
folds, c-folds, v-folds, j-folds, w-folds, z-folds, and so
forth.
In addition, for more complex folds requiring multiple fold lines,
it is known to form the necessary fold lines using two or more
folding devices in series. In this regard, folding boards have also
been used in series to achieve inter-folded or inter-leafed sheets,
that is to say sheets folded such that they partially envelope
portions of another sheet. Inter-leafed sheets are commonly
employed in stacks as a mechanism to facilitate removal of the
individual sheets from a dispenser. Withdrawal of a first sheet
through a dispenser opening pulls the enveloped portion of a second
sheet through the dispenser opening such that it extends out of the
dispenser opening and is exposed. Having a portion of the
subsequent sheet extending out of the dispenser opening greatly
facilitates removal of the same from the dispenser by the user. By
way of example only, various folding devices, folding patterns and
inter-folding schemes are described in the following U.S. Pat. Nos.
3,401,928; 3,679,094; 3,817,514; 3,841,620; 4,131,271; 4,502,675;
5,868,276; 6,045,002; and 6,168,848. However, the present invention
does not require the use of interfolded paper products.
The housing 14 may be made from numerous materials and by numerous
methods known to those skilled in the art. The housing 14 may be
made of plastic such as polyethylene, nylon, and so forth. However,
other suitable materials, such as other plastics or metals, may be
provided for any or all of the parts of the housing 14. As one
example, the housing 14 may be made of an injection-molded plastic.
The protrusions 42 and control ribs 52 are desirably formed
integral with the housing 14. However, the protrusions 42 and
control ribs 52 may be formed separately from the housing 14 and
attached later. Also, the protrusions 42 and control ribs 52 may be
made of different material from the housing 14 if desired. For
example, the protrusions 42 and control ribs 52 may be made of a
more resilient material than the materials described above, such as
an elastomer or rubber.
Desirably, as mentioned above, a cartridge may be provided for
holding paper products to be dispensed to a user. As shown in FIG.
3, a cartridge 70 having outside walls 72 is provided for insertion
into the interior area 32 of the housing 14 for containing paper
products to be dispensed. The cartridge has a bottom end 74 that is
adapted to dispense paper products. Opposing the bottom end 74 is a
top end 76. The cartridge 70 is sized to fit within the interior
area 32 of the housing 14. Desirably, the cartridge 70 is sized to
be only slightly smaller than the housing 14 to maximize the number
of paper products 12 contained within the cartridge. If the housing
14 includes a partial side wall, the cartridge should be large
enough to prevent the cartridge from falling from the opening in
the housing 14.
The cartridge 70 can hold and dispense significant numbers of
individual sheets. Desirably, the cartridge 70 is sized to hold and
dispense at least about 250 sheets. By way of example, the
cartridge 70 can contain between about 400 and about 1000 sheets.
In certain embodiments, the cartridge 70 can contain and dispense
between about 700 and about 900 sheets.
The cartridge includes a plurality of openings. The bottom end 74
of the cartridge 70 has an opening 94 corresponding to the
dispensing opening 40 through which paper products 12 are
dispensed. Additionally, one or more openings 90 corresponding to
the control ribs 52 may be at the bottom end 74 of the cartridge
70. The control ribs 52 extend through the openings 90 to support
and/or align the paper products 12 for dispensing through the
dispensing opening 40.
To permit visual inspection of the amount of paper products
remaining in the cartridge 70, the cartridge 10 may define at least
one additional opening 96 in one of the cartridge outside walls 72.
The contents of the cartridge 70 are visible through the opening
96. Desirably, at least one such opening 96 is visible from outside
the container 10. Two or more openings 96 may be provided in a
single wall to provide a greater range of visual inspection.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the cartridge 70 fully
inserted into the housing 14 mounted in the countertop 16.
As noted above, the cartridge includes a plurality of openings
through the cartridge. One such opening is a slot 88 through which
extends the means for urging paper products 50 when the cartridge
70 is loaded into the housing 14. The slot 88 is disposed at one of
the outside walls 72 of the cartridge 70. Alternatively, the slot
88 may extend around the top end 76 of the cartridge 70 to allow
the means for urging paper products 50 to be received by the top
end 76 of the cartridge.
Optionally, the cartridge 70 may include one or more of another
opening 92 that corresponds to the optional protrusions 42 in the
housing 14. The openings 92 are disposed in the outside walls 72 of
the cartridge 70 so that the openings 92 can encompass and receive
the protrusions 42 extending from the interior surface 30 of the
housing 14. Thus, upon placement of the cartridge 70 in the housing
14, the protrusions 42 and rib members 58 contact the paper
products 12 within the cartridge 70 and act upon the paper products
as described above.
The openings in the cartridge described above can be formed by
removal of removable portions that may either be removed (or simply
not formed) during manufacture of the cartridge or removed just
prior to installation of the cartridge in the housing. If the
removable portions are to be removed as part of the manufacturing
process, the cartridge should be shipped to the user wrapped, for
example in a polyethylene bag, to preserve the sterility of the
paper products in the cartridge. If the removable portions are to
be removed as part of the installation process, the edges of the
removable portions should be weakened, scored, etc. for easy
removal.
The cartridge 70 is desirably made of heavy paper or cardboard, but
may be made of any other suitable material known to those skilled
in the art such as, for example, durable plastic films and so
forth.
Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 6, the member 100 is shown having a
first portion 104 extending into the interior area 32 of the
housing 14. The first portion 104 of the member 100 engages and
applies force to the paper products 12. The first portion 104
extends into the interior area 32 a sufficient distance to engage
the paper products and may extend substantially to the opposing
side wall of the housing 14. Desirably, the first portion 104
extends from about 1/3 to about 1/2 of the way across the width of
the interior area 32 of the housing 14. The first portion 104 of
the member 100 should be sufficiently sturdy to withstand
substantial deflection from application of force against the paper
products 12.
The member 100 further includes a second portion 106 disposed
substantially within the slot 60 in the sidewall of the housing 14.
The second portion 106 of the member 100 is attached to a moveable
slide 107 disposed within a track 108. The cross-sectional area of
the slide 107 is slightly smaller than the cross-sectional area of
the track 108 to allow for free movement of the slide within the
track. The slide 107 is also sufficiently long to substantially
reduce and/or eliminate rocking within the track 108 that would
inhibit free movement.
The track 108 is defined within a track housing 110. Desirably, the
track housing 110 is external to the sidewalls of the housing 14.
The track housing 110 is be attached to the sidewall over the slot
60 by any of a variety of ways known to those skilled in the art
including, but not limited to, using adhesives, screws, nuts and
bolts, and/or nails, and so forth.
Force is applied to the slide 107 in the dispensing direction 62 by
a spring 102 disposed within the track 108. The slide 107 and the
spring 102 move within the track 108, but are constrained from
falling out of the track because the slot 60 in the side wall of
the housing 14 is narrower than the slide and the spring. Because
the spring 102 is compressed within the track 108, the spring 102
urges the slide 107 and the attached member 100 in the dispensing
direction 62. Thus, when paper products 12 are placed in the
container 10, thereby engaging the member 100, moving the member
towards the end wall 20 of the container 10, and compressing the
spring 102, the extension force of the spring acting on the member
urges the paper products 12 toward the dispensing opening 40. When
cartridge 70 containing paper products 12 is loaded in container
10, the member 100 extends through the cartridge slot 88 (shown in
FIG. 4) to engage the paper products 12. Use of the spring
mechanism described above allows the container 10 to be used in
those situations where paper products are to be dispensed in a
substantially horizontal or upward direction, i.e., where the paper
products will not be urged towards the dispensing opening by the
force of gravity.
The spring 102 is sized to provide sufficient force to urge the
paper products 12 to the dispensing opening 40. Desirably, the
spring 102 applies substantially constant pressure against the
paper products 12 at all positions of travel. Application of
substantially constant pressure helps to prevent over-application
of force when the member 100 is towards the end wall 20 of the
housing 14 and under-application of force when the member is closer
to the dispenser opening 40.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various
modifications and variations can be made in the present invention
without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. It is
intended that the present invention include such modifications and
variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and
their equivalents.
* * * * *